'Critical Mass Theory – Tipping Point for Tanzania’s Development' - Modesta L. Mahiga

I bumped into one of my uncles at Nairobi airport recently and he shared something which I had known but never quite stood still long enough to formulate like he did that day but, now that I think of it, that’s exactly what the Professional Approach Group is about; building the critical mass of patriotic, professional, ethical, entrepreneurial, quality-conscious and results-driven young leaders in the public, private and NGO space to tip Tanzania’s values, behaviours and in turn, culture to one that will foster and not hinder our pursuit of “high quality livelihood, peace, stability and unity, good governance, a well educated and learning society, and a competitive economy capable of producing sustainable growth and shared benefits.” as enshrined in Tanzania Development Vision 2025.

So what is the Critical Mass theory?

To simplify, summarise and apply to our situation, the Critical Mass theory states that when seeking to influence and change values and behavior for overall performance and cultural transformation by choosing to first focus on influencing individuals in a specific target group, as the number of individuals in that target group influenced by the new values and behaviours increases, there will come a time when an additional person influenced by the new values and behaviours will bring about not just their personal transformation and performance, as it had individually for each person before them, but that this one additional person thus influenced will be the tipping point to spur on widespread values, behavioural and overall performance transformation of many more people around them, going as far as influencing the value, behavioural and overall performance transformation of people who were not even in the initial target group.
The Critical Mass theory implies that at this tipping point, it is possible to completely override initial undesired values and behaviours such as to create the new and desired values and behaviours as the new norm, the new performance standard, entrenching a completely new culture.



Does the Critical Mass theory work?

It is Critical Mass theory that has tipped women’s inclusion into formerly male dominated business roles; as the increasing number of women in these new roles one day became significant, became, critical, society’s perception of women shifted; women could no longer be ignored as applicants and contenders for these roles (the challenge now is to get, on merit, the critical mass of capable women in the roles). I believe gender inclusion and empowerment is best facilitated when individuals in our families, especially children, see our mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers simply “be the message” by “doing” rather than “plead the message” by “saying”. When we see enough women “being”, the critical mass of women doers, in time, will form in our minds the acceptance that this is the norm, not the exception.

Critical Mass theory has worked to include minority groups in governance, education, employment, etcetera, and Critical Mass theory will oust the values, behaviours, performance output and culture we do not want to have in Tanzania and usher in what will prove both foundation and pillars for this Great Nation’s rise to economic lead.

'Modeling and Mentoring' - Modesta L. Mahiga

This is what securing Tanzania’s future boils down to, two words “modeling” and “mentoring”.

If we want to fuel tenacious, patriotic, professional, ethical and competitive mindsets in our people, we need to “model”, that is ‘live out ourselves’ the picture of what we want others to emulate, such as to be a role model to them, and then “mentor”, that is, take deliberate steps to groom others to be able to do and be the values and qualities they have seen and want to emulate in us. It is as simple as that.

I think we often get overwhelmed and bogged down in detail when we think of the challenge of developing our people to move from State dependency, with everyone screaming for government to do everything from sweep their back yard to regulate industry, to independence, where people now see that they have a role to play in their personal and community development to eventually maturing to co-dependence where state and citizen, collaborate both at the local government and state levels to develop the values, constitution, policies, laws and programs that would lead to “a better life for every Tanzanian”.

I know that just the thought of lending one’s mind to the mammoth that is human resource development in Tanzania gets people in analysis-paralysis, not seeing where to start and how they, as an individual could ever do anything significant enough to even make a dent to the challenges in national value system, employment and self-employment opportunities, competitiveness vies a vies foreign competitors and equitable share of the Nation’s wealth. Aaahhh! All of that is too much gibberish for the average person who just wants to have the few square meals they can put together and pray that malaria doesn’t strike any family member such as to require healthcare because there is always more month at the end of the money.

But wait a second people, how do we eat the proverbial “elephant”? One piece at a time, right? And this is how we are going to develop the human resource that will propel Tanzania into her rightful position as an economic super power; by transforming one mind at a time through “modeling” and “mentoring” today, the values, knowledge, skills and attitudes, we want to see in our people, today and tomorrow.

When we think of ‘empowering all 45 million of us to change the way we think, perform and present ourselves for a responsible and competitive business environment’, we might hang our heads in despair, saying “not in my lifetime” but, what if as individuals who are ‘sick and tired of being sick and tired’ about the status quo of low morale, corruption, poverty, irrelevant education, inadequate employment, infantile entrepreneurship, inappropriate governance, unfair competition and of course, not to mention, erratic utility supply, decided enough is enough?

What I know is that there are always “bright spots”, people in our families, communities, societies, today, who live in the same environment as us but somehow think, act and speak differently, higher. Bright spots are people who, despite the challenges, have chosen to both know and live the values and competencies we want our Nation to be moulded from. The reason why, no matter how hard stricken the economy, no matter the illiteracy or poverty levels, there will still be role models to look up to, is because values and behaviours are absolute, transcending current socio-economic and political dynamics. Good remains good and evil remains evil and there are still people who will never pretend to merge the two into the grey area of “it depends…”.

"The Nation Within You" - Modesta Lilian Mahiga

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number
of apples in a seed."” – Robert H. Schuller.

The Danger of Potential

One of the most disappointing things to experience is to watch how someone
gets smug and content to hear that they have “potential”. “Potential” my
friends, is deceiving; it can lull you into a slumber even as you walk in
wakefulness. “Potential” lures you into a false sense of confidence and
security as you say to yourself “ I’ve got it in me, it’s just waiting for
the right time to come before I use it.” Newsflash: settling for the fact
that there is latent “potential” in you is the most dangerous and
debilitating disease you could suffer from.

“Potential” is described in the Oxford dictionary as “having or showing
the capacity to develop into something in the future”, “latent [(of a
quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or
concealed – lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for
development or manifestation] qualities or abilities that may be developed
and lead to future success or usefulness”; “the possibility of something
happening or of someone doing something in the future.”

Potential says you have greatness in you and there is a possibility that
someday, somehow, you could become those things, maybe, there is a
possibility. Potential cripples you and makes you complacent because
potential tells you to wait for tomorrow and we all know that tomorrow
never comes.

They say that a graveyard is the wealthiest place in the world. This is
not because people are buried with great treasures in their caskets but
because people are the treasure buried in graves.

Because we continue to wait for our “potential” to be realised tomorrow,
many people die with “potential” to have changed their circumstances and
the very environment they lived. Because they did not pursue their
potential to its end, in the end it died with them forever remaining
“potential” unrealised.

So many unwritten books, untold stories, uninvented creations, unrealised
dreams, unsung heroes, go to the grave with a wealth of talent and
solutions to their and the world’s challenges. Solutions that the world
will never enjoy the benefit of because the one person they could have
come from settled for having the “potential” to make a difference instead
of unleashing what was only “potential” to what is “kinetic” energy –
“energy which a body possesses by virtue of being in motion”.

Potential in Motion

The difference between potential and kinetic energy is that whilst the
former is harnessed in a reservoir and could do great things once
released, until then it remains untapped, dormant, useless; the latter
however, is energy that is conquering fear, moving, doing, daring, now.
Kinetic energy is energy created because of movement, not lying dormant in
potential. Kinetic energy moves, flows in the present, continuously; being
used now, energy generated and applied now to build, strengthen, add
value.

The upside of having potential however, is the fact that you have
something (as opposed to having nothing and we know that God gave every
single person something to start with); to have potential means there is
greatness in you that is dying to be unleashed, to be released, to be made
known to the world, to bring change, to make a difference.

It’s “Selling” not “Begging”

In my few decades of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide under the African sun, I have come to learn a few things about my people - some characteristics to die for, others to kill, at once.

“Pride” falls under both categories. I am proud to be Tanzanian! I am proud of our diversity in ethnicity (over 130 tribes) yet unity in identity and language. I am proud of the fact that we look out for each other; as long as there is a community around them, it is almost unheard of to have a Tanzanian go without food or shelter. I am proud of the fact that we spearheaded Africa’s fight for freedom and unity at great national cost and have that as a lasting legacy. I am proud of our hospitality to people who are destitute, even to this day. I am proud of the fact that we tightened our belt and chose to develop on our own terms, rather than bow down to international political pressure. I am proud to be Tanzanian with the same pride that made our forefathers brave, selfless, sacrificial, persevering and united in pursuit of a common purpose, even when they didn’t get personal gain or live to see their dreams realised. This “pride” in my people, I too take pride in.

Then there is “p-ride” in my people. Out of the same set of circumstances of self-reliance, measured growth and employment for all, so that no one gets left behind, Tanzanians developed an “I am too proud to beg” attitude, even in situations when they aren’t even begging for anything. Funny how when we do beg, for example, for aid, we actually have no qualms about it. I’m just saying. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, being “too proud to beg” for business opportunities.

Take seeking for jobs, whether it be in employment or a business seeking clients, for example; it is typical of many of us to do the minimum to send out our documents, call-in to follow up a few times and then, let the opportunity go without “closing” the deal because we think “well, they know I exist, I have sent them my application documents and even followed up, if they really wanted to do this with me, they would have reverted to me, I’m not going to beg, I know my value.”

Similarly, I have noticed that a person will get out of their way to “sell” when at the beginning of their career yet a few years and titles later would not “go out to beg” for business.

What a pity. “As a man sees in his heart, so is he” reminds us King Solomon in one of his proverbs. Why would we choose to see it as “begging” and not “selling”? Ndugu zangu, as an employer-client, you cannot expect me to be more concerned with pursuing your success than you are. After all, who wrote to whom for this business opportunity? Kwahiyo unamringia nani? Do you know how many other people have applied for the same job as you have? Do you have any idea how many businesses are vying for the same tender to supply products and services to us? There could be tens, hundreds, even thousands. You think you are the only one with an idea? You would be surprised as to how many others have thought up something similar and have put it out to market. It is said that an idea is shared by 99 other people. Even if you were the only person and or business pursuing that opportunity, you still need to be persistent, show the employer-client that you are serious about partnering with them. Maanisha! Follow through.

So many employment opportunities are forgone, sales lost, because of the prideful mindset of the person seeking it.

I would advise both individual and business alike, to “change the way they think, perform and present themselves” to close that deal and continue nurturing the business relationship to guarantee repeat business past the initial transaction.

To do this, one should:

Do you need a degree to be a leader?

Is university education a prerequisite for an elective post? Is secondary education enough?

Well, Parliament wants to ensure that the next cadre of leaders all have tertiary level education.

It is difficult for a politician to stand up in Parliament and defend people seeking elective posts but do not possess a university education.

This is because if the names of those voicing their dissent against the law were put on paper, there will be a strong correlation between not attending university and not supporting the requirement.

Their opponents, on the other hand, are driven by the zeal of the entitled and the accomplished, the sort of haughtiness you can only find in a meritocracy.

They believe that a university education entitles you to more than those who have not bothered to seek higher education.

It is a ludicrous view that spending time in a university expands the mind in any way. Studying for the sake of studying is well and truly dead.

Universities are meant to instil a set of skills that are convertible into gain in the market outside.

The “Power List”

What I know for sure; leaders, trailblazers, change agents, chief transformation officers, as the title of a new found friend of mine, Dr. Wale Akinyemi, reads, are found absolutely everywhere; at every strata in society, in every walk of life of every village, every town, every city, every country and every continent of the world.



How far their reach, how great their impact, how renowned their name, is subject to people’s experience of their contribution to transforming the world they set out to influence. And that is all I will say about that.



What I want to address myself to, without digressing too much, is what I have come to learn through either, first hand exposure to, or, from literature giving insight into, the minds and worlds of these boys and girls, men and women who have and, continue to live legacies in whose wake, entire generations are transformed and destinies unfold.



What I have been part of most of my life but only in the past 3 years been more conscious of, is just how many informed, engaged, creative, courageous, driven leaders there are out there and how little they (a) know of each other and where they do, (b) work together. Whether they champion youth empowerment, environmental protection, responsible business and governance, Africa’s renaissance, mobile money, equitable access to clean water, fair trade or freedom of the press, when I interact with them, whether in person or through the written word, I can literally feel the power harnessed and synergies possible from our combined strengths.


I often meet these phenomenal people because someone, somewhere, who has “experienced” their leadership, impact, solutions, has told other people, who have told other people who decided to organise something and when creating their guest list, decided that these great boys and girls, men and women, must be invited. I’m telling you, it all starts with a list.


I am forever grateful to my God that increasingly so, I too get on these “lists” and travel in Tanzania, across Africa and around the world to meet, strategise, work, debate, shape opinions and solutions to the world’s challenges (in my case, usually pushing on the agenda the transformation of youth competitiveness for responsible business in Tanzania and through Tanzania, Africa). With every assembly, I meet some of “the usual suspects” on the “list” but also each time, more of other trailblazers in their fields. I get humbled each time I consider the accomplishments of the people around me and bless my God for including me in their midst and I passionately and deeply engage in conversations that I know will sooner (than later) develop into ventures.

THE STATE OF EAST AFRICA 2012. DEEPENING INTEGRATION, INTENSIFYING CHALLENGES

More than a decade since it was rekindled, the East African Community integration process is deepening, but the challenges facing the integration units and people are intensifying.

Nairobi, 2 April 2012: 'The final responsibility for shaping East Africa’s future lies with its citizens'. This is one of the key conclusions of a new State of East Africa Report 2012: Deepening Integration, Intensifying Challenges, published by the Society for International Development (SID), with support from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA).


The Report, launching on April 4, 2012 at a ceremony presided over by the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Ambassador (Dr.) Richard Sezibera and SID International President Ambassador Juma Mwapachu at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi at 10am, will open, encourage and inform a wide range of conversations about how the EAC regional integration is proceeding and what it means for ordinary people’s lives.

'Regional integration is a complicated but evolving process that starts and ends with the citizenry', said Ambassador Juma V. Mwapachu, President of SID International and the immediate former EAC Secretary General. 'One of the major goals of the State of East Africa report is to provide policy makers, civil society and the private sector with information and analysis that they can use to advocate their concerns and interests with respect to regional integration'.

The State of East Africa 2012 updates and improves on the inaugural State of East Africa 2006: Trends, Tensions and Contradictions: The Leadership Challenge and it compiles and analyses data across key economic, social and political indicators from the five member states of the EAC.


Some of the report’s key findings and insights are:

You Do or You Don’t?

Make up your mind, if you’re going to get engaged in something, do it to finish and for the hard core, gung-ho trail blazers amongst us, do it to win! You can’t do things in half measure, man, if you’re in it, then be in it to win it!

What am I talking about? I’m talking about “taking initiative”. I have noticed something that troubles me some; people who initiate a stimuli then sit and wait. I wonder, when people don’t take initiative to follow up with others on something that, if not completed, will reflect negatively on them (the initiator), is it because (a) they believe that after having initiated the communication, their burden of “taking initiative” has already been discharged, or; (b) they want to respect due process of transmission and response and so, after having submitted, they now wait, for the natural next step, that is, the recipient to respond?

Maanisha!'s MD, Andrew Mahiga for School Outreach in 21.1km Kili Marathon

Maanisha! Foundation, Managing Director, Andrew Mahiga is due to run the half Kili Marathon (21.1km) in Moshi this Sunday (26th February) as he raises money for a van so that Maanisha! can reach more students in schools nationwide to prepare them for competitiveness in the world of work (whether they be looking for jobs or creating them). To show your support for this worthy cause, please: 1. Register as a supporter and/or follow the cause and/or share with others on Twitter, Facebook etcetera by going to: http://fundly.com/maanishafoundation 2. Post the following on your social media profiles, blogs, BBM and sms it to friends: "Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Maanisha! Foundation, Andrew Mahiga, atakimbia mbio za Kilimanjaro Marathon (half) Jumapili ya tarehe 26 Februari, 2012, kuchangisha hela ili Maanisha! iweze kufikia vijana zaidi mashuleni Tanzania nzima. Kumuunga mkono, tuma mchango wako kupitia m-pesa: 0752 150 622. Jina: Andrew Mahiga. "Elimu ya maisha kwanza halafu ndiyo ushindani!"" 3. Donate any amount to: m-pesa: 0752 150 622. Jina: Andrew Mahiga 4. Send the following links to friends at media houses for them to follow and profile the story and the cause: http://fundly.com/maanishafoundation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhMFMrt9UOc http://www.maanisha.or.tz/about.html